The Voices We Meet
by The Last Performer
Summary: Based on a short drabble I read on Tumblr.
1. Part 1: Introduction

Authors note: Read a drabble by Falare over on Tumblr and asked if I could write a continuation of it. I'm posting this here so I can prove to her that I'm really doing it. I changed the title from "Voices we Never Met" to "Voices we meet" for... reasons. The original drabble is beneath the line in italics. Please enjoy.

* * *

_Sometimes at night as he lies in bed, white sheet pulled up to his chin like a shroud, he hears music: a light and scratchy voice singing songs he doesn't recognise, words he can't make out. Daiki has given up hope, or no longer has any need for it, but he imagines it all the same: the deep blue of the ocean, long limbs both tanned and pale, kicking up mingling clouds of sand and laughter, and then the light blue of the edge of the sky, spanning out to forever._

_(He has no regrets, but on his last day, he peers into his neighbour's cell on his way past; it's empty and only as he cranes his neck as they are walking away does he see a faint outline against their shared wall, as if a memory or a dream or a shadow.)_

* * *

On some days, the pain was bearable.

Other days, it wasn't. Sometimes, walking across the room felt like his bones would shatter. Sometimes, they felt like fire. The fatigue got to be so bad that he could barely pull himself out of bed.

On days like those, Riko was always by his side.

"Teppei, please try to stay in bed today, okay?" She asked, opening the curtains in his bedroom. "I'll try to convince the doctor to come again."

He hummed a response, smiling the best he could for her. "Please don't trouble yourself, Riko. I know that the Emperor gave up on me years ago. There's no hope of my returning to the guard." She paused before turning to face him.

"Come sit down." She did as she was told, and he placed a hand on her knee and smiled a stupid grin at her. "Listen, Riko, please don't worry about me. The emperor dropped me because I'm sick. He needs an army that can protect him. And his new captain is excellent at what he does."

"That doesn't explain why he won't help you, Teppei! All of the doctors are forbidden to help you! Explain that!"

He could tell from the tone in her voice that she was trying her best not to cry at his condition. Slowly, he reached up and took her face in his large hands. "Riko…"

A small cough came from his bedroom door. "Sorry to interrupt," Kagami announced. He leaned against the door frame, smiling smugly. Mitobe was at his side, carrying a basket.

Riko jumped and blushed. Teppei laughed loudly, trying to cover up the blush creeping on to his cheeks. "You're not interrupting anything!"

"D-did you need something, Kagami, Mitobe?" Riko asked, chuckling a bit herself.

Mitobe raised the basket he was carrying.

"We brought you guys some leftover food from the place we were helping out at earlier," Kagami explained.

"Thanks!" Teppei leaned against his headboard to sit up and see them. "Hyuuga should be back home soon for lunch. We can eat then."

"You two weren't working at the prison today?" Riko asked, offering them seats.

"We were, but figured we'd pick up some extra cash and help out that restaurant a couple blocks away. Got some extra food as a bonus." Kagami sat down at the edge of Teppei's bed. Mitobe set the food down on the table, and took a seat on the floor next to Riko's stool.

"Oh, that's nice. Did you hear Izuki got a new job? He's working as an animal trainer now, at the palace." Teppei smiled.

He looked happy, but tired. Kagami started noticing it, the more he saw him. He'd gotten skinnier. His cheeks were starting to grow more and more sallow. The bags under his eyes would get darker, and sometimes his eyes would be bloodshot and swollen. "Did you guys get to a doctor, or…?"

Teppei's smile lost its mirth. "They won't take me. It seems the emperor is keen on not letting me return to the guard by forbidding my treatment."

Mitobe looked alarmed, and Riko rushed to try and calm him down.

Kagami felt his heart wrench at the truth of the kingdom they lived in. It felt like the ground was dropping from beneath him, and he couldn't grab on to anything. It was in that moment that he resolved to contact Himuro.

* * *

He'd grown accustomed to hearing those songs. (He may have even felt a bit lonely without them.) Daiki liked to wake up, knowing that he was on the other side of that wall, hearing a song he couldn't quite make out.

His eyes started to droop as he listened to that song, an arm slung over his forehead as he lay on his prison bed. He thought of the ocean, of the sky, of his hair (and of his eyes). The discomfort of the bed beneath him was all too familiar, and all he could think of was blue, blue, blue. Memories washed over him like waves at the beach, or a cool summer breeze.

oOoOo

The sky was a clear blue the first day that they'd met. He'd recently been released from a small holding cell for an assault he'd committed. He remembered blinking hard against the change in light, and he remembered thinking he wanted to steal some fruit on his way to find a place to stay.

Daiki found himself sleeping in an empty house that night. He had no money, no food, no place to stay. Just the clothes on his back. He was known in the area for being a wild man with dark skin and blue hair, who didn't care about anything but himself. He didn't care what they thought.

Mindless people like them didn't matter.

Feeling restless, unable to sleep, he let his eyes wander around the house he was staying in. There wasn't much. He chuckled at the idea of somebody living in such a plain place. If he'd had a house, it'd be filled with things he'd stolen, with food in the kitchen, and fewer bookshelves. He wanted a big yard, like the Emperor had, so he had some space outside to sit. Daiki sighed. It was a far off dream, thinking like that. His eyes fluttered closed as he imagined the life he wished to live.

He woke up at the click of a door.

He sat up.

"Shit, I thought nobody lived here," he grumbled. The initial panic dissolved as he formed a plan. Depending on how this person reacted, he could either knock them out, or he could scare them and take off. He sidled behind one of the empty bookshelves in the room. He waited to hear footsteps. He waited to hear the door close. He waited to see someone, he waited for something.

But nothing came.

Squinting and grimacing, he peeked out from behind the bookshelf.

A small man was standing at the bookshelf, setting books straight on the shelf. "Ah," he said (exclaimed? Yelled?), with a blank expression on his face. "What are you doing in my house?"

Daiki hesitated, staring down incredulously at the person before him. "I-I… l-look…" he stammered. Damn it, how could somebody live in such a plain place? "Look! You've got two choices, kid..."

"I'm friends with the captain of the Emperor's military, so if you hurt me, you'll be in trouble," the man stated.

Wait. Was that a threat?

"Well?" He asked.

"You've got some nerve, kid. I just got out of jail, you know that?"

"Of course I do," he replied, setting books on his shelf again. "Everybody in the area does. I can't imagine that you want anything to do with someone like me, so I wanted to know why you were in my house."

"I needed a place to stay."

"Well, as long as you don't do anything to me, I don't see any reason to report you to my friend."

Daiki scowled. He knew his friend. Kise was the guy that arrested him in the first place. He was the only person who stood a chance in a fight against him, and, really, the only guy capable of arresting him. But who was this kid?

"My name is Kuroko."

Damn it!

Daiki tried not to jump. Could he read minds? He wondered.

"And I know that you're Aomine-kun."

Daiki's eyes strayed from the man in front of him. This kid was weird, and it was making him really uncomfortable. He shifted his weight awkwardly from one foot to the other. "You live in a place like this?"

From the corner of his eyes, he saw Kuroko pout a little bit. "What's wrong with it?"

"It's so plain. Isn't it boring?"

Daiki looked straight back at him when he didn't answer. "Maybe," he began, "but I think I like it like this."

oOoOo

* * *

"You're deranged," he said.

Kagami chuckled a bit, finding himself in the same situation in the same back room he found himself in a few years ago. Nearly a week had passed since he'd seen Teppei and he'd started to form this vague plan in his mind. "You said that, then, too, you know," he noted.

The other man frowned. "Taiga," he said, "this is different."

"How?"

"You know perfectly well how different this is!" Himuro yelled, glaring at his friend. The steady beeping of a timer going off seemed to calm him down. He rose and, grabbing a thick towel on his way up, pulled out pans of bread and put them on a shelf to cool. He sighed. "I'm sorry, Taiga, but I don't know if it's possible."

"Why not?"

"Look. You know that we've only helped people who weren't guilty of anything. People who were wrongly convicted. They're easy to sneak out under the radar when we make deliveries, but this guy… he's a big one. I know for a fact they're not allowed out of their cells. He's someone that the Emperor keeps under tight watch because_ he has wronged him_."

"Tatsuya, you don't know this guy. If you met him, you'd understand, but…" Kagami paused, trying to think of the perfect way to describe him. "A guy like him, you wouldn't expect anything from him. But he changed the notorious Aomine, and he rebelled against the Emperor. There has to be something about him."

A muffled voice came from the doorway. "You think he's the phantom Aka-chin always talks about? The dangerous one he mentioned to me?"

(Without turning to the doorway, Himuro smiled at the presence of his companion. "Atsushi, please don't eat the bread that's for the customers," he chided gently. Murasakibara mumbled an insincere apology through mouthfuls of bread.)

"There's no way it could be anyone else," Kagami decided. "I wondered why such a small guy was brought in, but it's starting to make sense. If we're going to make a move, we'll need him with us, on our side."

Himuro leaned on his arm, with his chin in his palm. He sighed quietly, staring at the racks of bread and dough as he tried thinking carefully about the situation. "It might be doable. It's dangerous, though. The Emperor might lose his good opinion of Atsushi. He might be able to track it back to us. To you. It's dangerous, Taiga."

Kagami stopped listening. A razor toothed, dark eyed smirk of excitement took over his face.

"It's doable."

* * *

oOoOo

Daiki woke up the next morning to humming, and the smell of toast. There was a blanket tossed over him. (Did he fall asleep with one on?) He sat up slowly, and, from his view from the sofa, he could see Kuroko cooking in the kitchen. He was spreading jam on his toast.

Maybe this wasn't so bad, he thought.

"Are you awake, Aomine-kun? Would you like some breakfast?"

Kuroko came out of the kitchen, carrying two plates: one for himself, and one for Daiki. He watched, dumbfounded, as Kuroko offered him a plate.

The two ate together, and Daiki (somewhat reluctantly) agreed to help Kuroko as he ran errands that day. He remembered the hushed, worried whispers around them, and the looks he'd gotten that day. Kuroko didn't seem to mind, and asked Daiki to carry his groceries.

"Do you mind if we stop by a friends place? I have a present for him," Kuroko asked.

"I don't care," Daiki scoffed back. Kuroko nodded, and Daiki followed him to a small house.

oOoOo

When he opened his eyes, the stone ceiling of the prison cell greeted him. Daiki stared at the stone, thinking that he missed the sun and the breeze more than anything. (Except maybe Kuroko, but he refused to admit that to himself consciously.) He heard the familiar scrape of a tray being put in to his cell.

Daiki rolled over and grabbed it. Mitobe nodded at him in a friendly way before moving on to the next cell. He ate quietly, and noticed that the song had stopped as well.

He'd hummed the first time they ever went out together. Daiki guessed it was how he expressed himself best, since facial expressions didn't seem to work. He didn't know what to make of the latest song his friend had taken to singing, while they were stuck in prison.

As he finished his meal and laid down again, he thought passively about what sort of song he would sing if they ever got out.

* * *

Himuro slammed the oven shut. Kagami jumped, and shrunk in his chair as Himuro turned to him. "You could have told me the reason that spurred your little interest in liberty, Taiga!" He yelled.

"T-Tatsuya, listen," Kagami suttered, "don't be so mad. I thought you'd be happy that I was planning like this."

"You aren't planning! You're an idiot!" Without realizing it, Himuro slipped back in to his native tongue. "When you start doing things for a selfish reason, you're hurting the cause! I'm helping people because what he's doing to them isn't fair! But what he did to that boy is fair, and what we're doing is dangerous! I don't know if you realize that!"

"I do – look, Tatsuya – I'm sorry. I'm sorry, okay? Stop yelling." Kagami slammed his face in to his palms, rubbing his eyes roughly. "I do want to help you. But I want to help Kiyoshi, too, and… this is the only way I know how to do it. I know it's dangerous. I'm putting you in a difficult spot."

"_Difficult?_" He yelled. "Difficult, my ass! It was child's play before. Everybody involved will be put to death, if we're captured!"

Kagami slammed his fists on the table. "So, what then? You had one foot in the door, and one foot out before? If you weren't going to help the people that_ really_ need it, _when_ they really need it, what's the point? You're just scared now, because there's no going back."

Himuro paused. He grabbed Kagami's shirt, pulled him up, and raised a fist. "How_ dare_ you?" His eyes narrowed, barely catching the light from beneath his bangs. "How dare you say that to me when you don't have any responsibility, other than yourself? When I have Atsushi and this bakery to take care of? When I'm the one who initiated all this? When you're only acting for yourself, and not for a better society?"

Kagami grabbed Himuro's shirt, a dangerous glare in his eye. "Don't act so high and mighty, Tatsuya…"

A large hand reached over Himuro's head and grabbed Kagami's face, shoving him back down in to his chair. The heated expression looking down at Kagami faded as Himuro looked upward.

"I don't know what you two are yelling, but you'd better calm down. Customers can hear you," Murasakibara said, hugging Himuro around the neck and resting his chin on his head. "Keep it down until we close, alright?"

"S-sorry," Kagami blurted out, dumbfounded. He stared blankly up at Murasakibara, offended and surprised that he'd been forced down.

"I'm sorry, Atsushi." Himuro quietly unwound himself from the taller man's arms and switched the bread in the oven before moving to wash his hands and continue baking. "Do you need help up front?"

He yawned. "I can handle it. But Kagami better stay here until we close, so we can sort things out." Though his face was apathetic, his voice was dripping with malice. Kagami sat quietly in his chair, while Himuro baked, and the two of them seethed silently for the next couple hours.

"Taiga," Himuro began, after those few, tense hours. He was faced away from Kagami, icing a cake. "I'm sorry. I lost my head."

"I should've told you everything. It's my bad, Tatsuya."

"Yeah, you should have." Himuro put his piping bag on the counter and started to cut some fruit. Every few seconds, Kagami would catch an upset expression with a furrowed brow on his friends face. "I know someone that may be able to help your friend."

"What? Really?" Kagami nearly tripped as he jumped out of his chair.

"If you'd told me earlier, I could have done something sooner. I'll ask him to visit your friend and see if he can do anything."

Kagami jumped across the kitchen and hugged his friend. "Thanks, Tatsuya! I owe you one!"

Tatsuya chuckled half-heartedly. "Does this change your opinion on a revolution?"

"No. I've come this far. I'm not about to leave you, alright?" He took a step back and put his hands on Himuro's shoulders. Tatsuya smiled. "But, unfortunately for you, I'm not done telling you about my half assed plans, so we might be in for a wild ride."

"I'll refine them, don't worry."

Murasakibara slinked in to the kitchen, eyeing the two suspiciously. "Have you two made up?" He asked, wandering over to the cake.

"It seems that way, Atsushi." Himuro looked over and smiled. (Murasakibara inspected the cake before adding a few finishing touches and boxing it up.) "And I'm afraid he's got some more ideas about our cause. We'll talk about them when you've finished closing the front."

Murasakibara stopped. He sighed. "Oh, great…"

* * *

Daiki looked at the food in front of him.

"You're not the guy that usually brings our meals to our cells," he commented, eyeing the redhead skeptically.

Kagami refused to shrink under his judgmental gaze. "We're short staffed today," he answered gruffly. "I work as the chef here. Do you guys know how annoying it is to feed you guys up here? You damn high security convicts aren't allowed to leave your cells…"

Daiki glared. "We know we aren't," he shot back curtly. He wanted his meal, not a damn conversation.

Kagami complied and slid a tray of food in to Daiki's cell. He walked down the row of cells, delivering meals to the prisoners. Daiki only saw him run back past his cell when a fit of coughs erupted from the cell next to his.

"Tetsu?" Daiki yelled in a panic. He pressed himself against the wall, reaching through the bars towards his partner in crime. "Tetsu, what's wrong? Answer me!"

He felt the small hand take his own. There was a bittersweet moment of bliss that exploded in his chest.

"I'm not feeling so well," he answered. It was good to hear his voice.

"Tetsu," he said again. He wanted to tell him to hang in there, that things would get better. He wanted to hold his hand forever, and go back to the time when they were free and could walk in the sunshine together.

Then he thought maybe it would be better to die.

"Aomine-kun," he said, "please take care of yourself."

The smaller hands' grip tightened. (He was yelling for help, but Daiki tuned it out. Kagami's words were empty. He didn't hear it.) He felt his grip loosen, then, lose its grip altogether.

"Tetsu! Hey, Tetsu!"

The overseer of the prison ran in to the corridor and unlocked Kuroko's cell. "Kurokocchi?" He called, faintly, nervously.

"Check his pulse, idiot!" Kagami yelled, shoving the blonde in to the cell. They exited Daiki's field of vision, and eventually, they pulled Kuroko's hand from his.

"I'm not getting anything…"

"Damn it!"

"Kurokocchi, come on! Kurokocchi!"

Daiki leaned against their shared wall and listened.

"Kise," Kagami's voice echoed gravely. "I think you have to call it."

He clenched his fists and inhaled sharply.

Through gritted teeth and gasps for breath, he announced, "time of death…"

* * *

It was the first time in a while that Himuro left his partner to run the store by himself. He knew that Murasakibara was more than capable of running the store, but he still worried. He knew he didn't like to do it by himself.

"Atsushi?" Himuro called gently up the stairs. "Atsushi, are you still awake?"

The lights were off in their room above the bakery. They'd closed a few hours ago, and Murasakibara had decided he wanted to shower and go to bed early. Himuro knew that his actions weighed heavily enough on Murasakibara's mind and heart, especially lately. He knew he was visibly more irritated, but he did his best to tell himself it was the right decision, because somebody needed to help innocent citizens.

It wasn't the first time it kept him up at night, and he always chose to busy himself with the bakery.

"I'm awake," he answered, his deep voice reverberating down the stairwell. "Do you mind cleaning up, Muro-chin?"

Himuro smiled a bit and made his way up the stairs in to the darkness as he slid on an apron. He could barely make out the silhouette of his partner, sitting up in his bed on the upper floor.

"I don't mind. Sorry I was out all day. I had to meet up with Taiga," he explained. "Oh, and I couldn't renew the business permits, so you'll have to do it tomorrow."

"What a pain," he grumbled, though he knew better. Meeting Kagami was never an innocent act. "How did it go?"

"It's hard to tell, as of now. We'll need to do some sort of damage check soon," Himuro decided, his mind racing with complex plans and ideas.

"But the guys at the office saw you?"

"They definitely saw me," Himuro answered, his lips catching the soft light shining in through the windows. Though his voice sounded normal enough, his mouth was caught in a worried frown.

Murasakibara nodded, running the scenario's through his mind. There was another problem. Something else was wrong. "Why wouldn't they let you renew the permits?"

Renewing permits was easy enough and only takes a few minutes. He shrugged. "Because I'm foreign."

There was the slightest wave of irritation, or maybe upset, in his voice, and Murasakibara could hear it. He snatched Himuro's apron and pulled him in to a hug, burying his face in the scent of dough and freshly cooked bread.

"Atsushi," Himuro gasped in surprise. He chuckled a bit and ruffled the others hair. "Stop it, you'll get flour in your hair."

"I don't care." Murasakibara hugged him tighter as Himuro's hands stopped moving to rest on his back.

* * *

The line of cells was quiet when he woke up.

He heard Mitobe slide the food in to his cell, but he ignored it. He wasn't hungry.

He heard his heart beat steadily, and he heard his shallow breathing, knowing in the back of his mind that he would never hear any of that from Kuroko again. He felt an emptiness in his stomach. He felt a darkness in his heart. He remembered before he met him. He'd felt like this then, too.

He'd felt no hope for himself, and he didn't care about anybody else.

Daiki rolled over to face the wall. He closed his eyes.

oOoOo

"You know, just because people think you're a certain way, doesn't mean you have to act like it," Kuroko told him, cleaning the battered knuckles of his friend.

"Shut up." Daiki restrained a hiss as Kuroko dabbed peroxide on his bloodied fists. "That damn Haizaki was asking for it when he threatened Satsuki."

Kuroko paused, holding Daiki's dark hands in his own. Daiki looked at him, curious as to why he stopped (but grateful, nonetheless). "Wh-what?" he asked nervously, their blue eyes locking.

He shrugged. "I'm glad that you're using your powers for good now, is all." Kuroko looked down and continued his work on Daiki's hands. His face heated, and he forced himself to look away from the other man.

oOoOo

* * *

"Murasakibara's brought a present, Emperor. He wishes to give it to you in person."

"Send him in, Shintarou."

"It seems he's brought his business partner, Himuro Tatsuya."

Heterochromatic eyes turned on the speaker. "I only wish to see Atsushi."

"Very well." He watched as his aide left to retrieve the baker.

"Mido-chin," he greeted. Murasakibara smiled, offering him a loaf of bread.

Midorima took it (reluctantly) before looking upwards. "The emperor only permits Mursakibara's entry. You can wait here, Himuro."

"Ah, is that okay, Muro-chin?"

"Yes, it's fine." Himuro smiled, and urged his partner to speak with the emperor alone. Midorima guided the taller man in to the throne room, and Himuro took this opportunity to slip in to the castles courtyard.

He smiled a different smile as he came upon the man he was looking for. His blonde hair was nearly blinding in the sunlight, and Himuro caught himself watching the figure has he practiced with a sword.

"Captain Kise Ryota, is it?"

The man stopped and turned. He relaxed at the sight of the baker. "And you are…?"

"My name is Alex Garcia." His look darkened. "I have a bit of a proposition for you…"

* * *

He was feeling well, for once.

"Hey, Hyuuga, let's go shopping!"

He looked over at Teppei, who had an idiot's look of excitement on his face, and braces on his ankles, knees, elbows, and wrists. He turned away slowly. He pretended not to see him, and took a long sip of coffee.

"Eh!" He gasped. "Hyuuga, don't be like that! I'm feeling well enough today! Let's go!"

He put his mug on the table gently before turning to his roommate. "Don't be an idiot," he said loudly. "Once we take a step outside, your strength will give out. And you know who's gonna have to bring you back here? Me."

"But I've been up all day, Hyuuga."

"I just got back from the store, retard."

"Oh." Teppei looked down, thinking hard.

"Look at yourself, Kiyoshi. You're wearing braces on literally every single one of your major joints. I'm sorry. I just don't think it's possible."

Teppei smiled without looking up. "I'm sorry, Hyuuga. It's been a while since I was feeling this good, so I got excited."

A twinge of guilt rushed through him. He sighed and pulled out a chair for his friend. "You can't be reckless, Kiyoshi," he said. "If you've got some strength, maybe you're recovering slowly. But if you do something dumb, you'll be back at square one. So it's fine to sit up and walk a little, but try to relax, alright?"

"Yeah, alright," he agreed.

"Now take off those fucking braces."

He laughed and started undoing the leg, arm, and wrist braces he'd put on a few minutes earlier. Hyuuga got up when there was a knock on the door.

A tall and slim man with long, dark hair smiled when he opened the door. "A friend of mine asked me to come. I'm here to see a man named Kiyoshi Teppei?"

Teppei rose, slowly, cautiously, as he looked at the man and offered him a seat.

A few moments later, he found himself sitting uncomfortably on the sofa while the doctor rubbed his legs in small circles. There was an uninterested look on his face.

"Who did you say you were?" Hyuuga asked impatiently. He was wary of the stranger.

"I didn't."

Hyuuga scowled. "Well, who the fuck are you?"

"I'm a doctor. My name is Mibuchi Reo."

Teppei repressed a spasm when as the doctor massaged the back of his knee. He tried to swallow the pain and attempted a smile. "I believe you helped me the first time I was sick, isn't that right?"

"Yes. I do a lot of work for the emperor and his guard. I'm surprised you remembered."

"You know that helping me is technically illegal, right?"

Mibuchi flipped his hair as he looked up, hands still on his knee. "Of course I know. Believe me, this isn't the first illegal thing I've done as a doctor, and I'm sure it won't be the last."

oOoOo

He found himself in the palace with orders to examine the captain of the emperor's guard. When he entered the room, expecting the scary face of a soldier, he was instead greeted with a smile, and a voice choking back tears of pain.

"Kiyoshi Teppei? I'm here to examine you, by request of the emperor. My name is Mibuchi Reo," he explained, setting down his bag and taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "I'll have to ask you to sit up."

"Nice to meet you," he whimpered, a shaking smile on his face, as he used all his strength to push himself up.

Mibuchi forced himself to not outwardly cringe at the pain Teppei was in. He helped him take off his shirt and proceeded, then, to examine his joints and bones the best he could.

When he reported a disappointing prognosis to the emperor, the emperor glared down at him from his throne.

"So the chances of his recovery are slim, then?"

"Yes, sir. It seems that way. I'm afraid it's hard to pinpoint the cause of the disease, making it difficult to treat, so…"

"I see. Shintarou, make arrangements to promote the vice-captain. Have Kiyoshi formally dismissed."

Midorima's eyes widened in sync with Mibuchi's. "But sir," he stammered.

"He's sick! You can't fault him for this."

"Do not disobey me," the emperor said. "If he is weak, get rid of him. There's no room for the sick in my army. If you disagree, then I will find a new doctor."

oOoOo

* * *

Midorima was standing next to the emperor's throne. He didn't realize that his gaze and mind had wandered to the outdoors.

"Did you enjoy seeing Murasakibara today?" he asked absentmindedly.

"Yes. It's a shame he decided to open his own bakery, rather than to continue as our personal chef. But, the bread from his bakery is very good. We'll have some tonight at dinner."

"Mm." A bird passed by the window. Midorima watched it for the few fleeting seconds it was in his view.

"Shintarou." The quiet, threatening voice snapped him back to reality. "You're thinking of him again. I've told you, I want you to only look at me." The emperor's small hands took Midorima's face and brought it close to his own. He kissed the taller man.

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry."

"I'm sure you have work to do, Shintarou. I'll have you called down for dinner. Is that okay?"

"Yes." Midorima stood up straight, with a stone expression as he looked down at the smiling face of the emperor. He left the room and headed towards his own.

"Midorimacchi," a familiar voice drawled from the end of the corridor.

"What is it, Kise?" He could feel his patience wearing thin earlier than usual. "I'm not in the mood to deal with you. If you have something to say, say it."

Kise pouted, crossing his arms. "Don't be so mean, after all that I've done for you!"

"What are you talking about?"

The blonde's playful smile faltered. "I've done all that I can for him, but at this rate…" Kise paused, doing his best to avoid the wide eyes of his friend. "I'm afraid if he doesn't get some real help, he'll go blind."

Midorima felt his heart plummet down to his stomach. He opened his mouth to speak, but his mind was blank.

Kise put his hands on his shoulders. "It must be hard," he said. In a lower, more emotional, voice, he went on, "you don't need to stay, for anybody's sake. Good luck, Midorimacchi."

He walked away, leaving the green haired man gaping in the hallway.

* * *

oOoOo

"This is the first time I've ever been to the ocean, you know."

"Eh, no way!" Daiki stifled a laugh. Kuroko turned and glared ever so subtly (ever so sweetly) in his direction. "Well, it's good that we can go together, then, right?"

He shrugged. "I suppose there's nobody else I'd rather go with," he agreed. The two sat down next to each other. Daiki basked in the sun, lying on the sand, and admiring the back of his companion. Kuroko sat, his knees to his chest, and watched the ocean waves come in and go out over and over again.

Even then, he'd thought he wanted this moment to last forever.

oOoOo

He woke up to humming.

Daiki sat up, startled by the noise, from being woken up from such a good dream. He'd thought he'd gone crazy. Maybe that this was a dream.

But the humming was different. It was louder, deeper. More unrefined than his friends humming was.

It stopped.

He realized how heavily he was breathing, and tried to tell himself to calm down. He rested his face in his palms.

"It's quiet, without him singing, isn't it?"

The voice echoed down the corridor.

"I guess it must be hard to notice, for some people. He was in the cell across from mine, so I saw the whole thing. It's lonely without someone across from me."

It was the man from the cell across from Kuroko's. They'd never spoken before, but Daiki figured his abrupt awakening must've been louder than he thought it was.

"But you're hurting more than I am, right, Aomine Daiki-kun?"

Daiki could nearly hear the smile on this man's face. It was annoying as hell.

"If I'm right, you led a small, but effective rebellion against the Emperor. There were rumors of a phantom tactician who helped you execute the whole plan, who was placed in the cell across from me. You two were quite close, weren't you? Well, your reasons for rebelling were vague. Things like ill treatment of foreigners, oppression of the poor and sick, right?"

Daiki shifted quietly on his bed. "You sure like to hear yourself talk, don't you?"

"You did quite a remarkable job, considering. It's too bad you guys were sold out by a man currently serving in the emperor's guard."

"Who are you?" Daiki asked finally.

He heard a faint chuckle. "My name is Takao Kazunari."

* * *

His stomach churned at the familiar, vague symptoms of his patient. It was impossible for him to make a clear diagnosis. There was little he could do, and he was sure to do it. He began digging through his bag.

"You're much improved since the last time I saw you, Kiyoshi. Whatever you're doing, keep it up. You were close to death last time, so I'm expecting you to only get better," he said without looking up.

"I appreciate the help, Mibuchi."

He pulled an opaque bottle of liquid. "This will help numb the pain on days where it's unbearable," he explained, setting it on Teppei's bedside table. "Use the cap as a measurement. Only take it twice a day, max. Drink lots of water. Are you taking note of this, four eyes?"

Hyuuga jumped at the sudden address. "E-eh, yeah, I got it!"

"Good. Keep an eye on this oaf." A small smile crossed Mibuchi's face as he zipped his bag closed. "I'll come again soon, but I'm not expecting much improvement. Continue resting, like you have been. Now, excuse me. I have another patient to go see before nightfall."

"Thanks, Mibuchi," Teppei said again. "Be careful."

Mibuchi tossed his hair behind his shoulder. "I've been alright so far," he answered haughtily before leaving.

It wasn't the first illegal job he'd done since he'd been fired, but it was arguably the riskiest. He knew he'd be messing with tabooed territory as soon as he offered to help the convict, but somebody had to. He was let in to the cell by the new captain, a pretty blonde boy.

oOoOo

Waiting inside was a small, black haired man. He had bandages wrapped tight around his head, covering his eyes, and his ankles were broken. He was lying on his bed, unmoving, even at the announcement of a doctor.

He recognized the nature of his broken bones. It was the emperor's specialty when he was forced in to combat. A swift, sweeping kick to the ankles and he could break them.

"This kid's a special one, isn't he?" Mibuchi mused. He sat him up. "Can you hear me?"

"I'm going blind, not deaf," he growled under his breath.

Mibuchi stifled an impressed laugh. "And what did you do to piss off the emperor so bad?"

He was silent for a moment as Mibuchi wrapped his ankles.

"I fell in love."

oOoOo

* * *

He'd heard that there was a new animal caretaker for the emperor, but he hadn't familiarized himself with him. He kept his distance from the people in the palace. He knew he'd be opening a whole world of ugly, painful feelings if he became close to anybody. In the back of his mind, he was scared of suffering like Midorima was – like he knew Midorima was. Like he was now.

"Hey, Captain," a voice drawled. "You sure have a serious look on your face."

Kise sighed, putting on a smile before looking up. "Eh? What do you mean, Hanamiya?"

The dark haired member of the guard marched up to Kise, smirking a wicked smile. "Is it because your friend just died in prison?" He paused. "Well, it's just as well. He was a filthy traitor of the kingdom anyway. Him and that dirty Aomine. They were in over their heads. They opened Pandora 's Box and they'll pay for it." Hanamiya rolled his head back and forth as he talked, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "I'm glad I convinced the emperor to move up his execution date."

Kise stayed quiet, eyes narrowing as he watched the shifty bastard move.

"Should be interesting, right? I know how you hate killing. It's your first execution, right? I'll be happy to do it for you. It's lucky that damned kid of yours died in prison, or you'd have had to kill him yourself and –" a swift backhand sent him flying to the floor.

"Hanamiya," Kise cooed. "Please do not speak ill of the dead. If you have something to say, I'll be happy to send you after them so you can say it to their face."

He scowled up at the blonde.

"Is that understood?" He barked.

Hanamiya growled through clenched teeth. "Yes, Captain."

"Good." Kise turned and continued on his way.

He paused in front of the door of the new animal caretaker and heaved a sigh. The idea of being able to stop the unfair reign of his emperor shone like a beacon in his beliefs. But he knew what he was getting in to. If he decided to help Alex Garcia, his fate was sealed. But there was hope at the bottom of Pandora's Box.

He knocked on the door.

"Izuki-kun?" he asked nervously when the door opened.

The boy smiled. "Hello. Please come in."

Kise sidled in. He swallowed hard. "Alex Garcia told me to find you when I'd made my decision."

"And? What is it?"

"I'll help."

Izuki's face dropped in surprise. "We could be lying to you, you know. There isn't much benefit on your end, Captain. You do realize what you're getting yourself in to, don't you?"

Kise put on a brave face and smiled. "I realize. Please send a message to him about my answer." When the other man's expression didn't change, he chuckled. "You should be happy I'm agreeing to help. If anybody can change this kingdom, it's those two. If Kurokocchi's alive, then…"

He didn't realize his gaze had wandered to the floor until Izuki pat him on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Captain. You can count on us. I'll send the letter once the emperor's gone to bed."

* * *

He didn't notice that he was hungry until he realized three meals had gone by uneaten. His stomach hurt, partially from hunger, and partially from the sadness of Kuroko's death. He was sitting against the bars of his cell, trying to get the best view of the night sky that he could. (Kuroko showed his some constellations once, but he'd be damned if he remembered any of them.) Daiki's stomach growled, and he mentally told it to shut up.

"You should have eaten, Aomine-kun."

"Shut up," he said, out loud this time.

"How will you start a revolution on an empty stomach?" Takao's voice echoed quietly down the hall.

"Don't you get it? The revolution's over. There's no hope left."

Takao was quiet for a few minutes. "Not necessarily," he said. "There are other people out there who want change."

"How would you know?" He sneered. "You're stuck in here, just the same as I am."

He laughed. Daiki shivered as he heard it: louder than it's ever been. Closer than it's ever been.

He turned towards Takao's cell and caught sight of him, holding himself up by the iron bars of his cell. There were bandages tied thick around both ankles and bloodied, stained bandages tied around his eyes.

"I wasn't always, you know. In fact, I've been here for a shorter amount of time than you have."

Daiki tried to remember when Takao was brought in, but he found no recollection. He figured he must've brushed it off at the time and forgotten. Takao remembered it vaguely, through constant reminders of the pain he was still in daily. He dreamt of the day he was brought to the prison sometimes. He winced as he brought his hands to his eyes, straining to remember the exact details.

oOoOo

They were sitting in the garden together. Takao whistled sharply, and the birds all descended and landed in front of him.

"Cool, right?"

Midorima adjusted his glasses. "It's impressive, that you have such control over these animals."

He laughed. "The hawks and I get along best, but the other animals he has are nice, too." Takao leaned back, and their fingers brushed. Midorima did not pull away, and the look on his face softened a little. Without looking, Takao laced his fingers between the other mans.

"I hope you aren't implying that I'm one of his animals, Takao."

He laughed again. "Of course I'm not, Shin-chan."

Midorima turned to look over at Takao, his face dropping as he did. He pulled his hands away.

"Shin-chan?" Takao asked, following the direction of his eyes.

"'Shin-chan?' Is that what he calls you, Shintarou?"

Takao jumped up and fell to the ground in a bow. The birds took flight at his sudden movement. "E-emperor, s-sir."

The emperor smiled. "Look at me, Takao."

He raised his head slowly, swallowing hard. His eyes met the emperors heterochromatic ones.

"Who gave you permission to speak to Shintarou like that?"

Takao didn't answer. Midorima stood up. "Emperor, please…"

"Be quiet, Shintarou," he ordered. The emperor slowly walked circles around the kneeling Takao. "How bold of you, Takao, to try and take Shintarou away from me when you're nothing more than a peasant who happened to be good with my pets."

"I wasn't trying to take him away, sir."

Without hearing Takao's protest, he continued, "it's a shame. The hawk's really did seem to attach themselves to you. I'll have to find someone else."

Takao lowered his eyes.

"Did I mention I taught them a new trick?"

Takao heard him whistle, and the familiar sound of flapping wings. He looked up in time to see one of the hawks flying towards him, but not enough time to raise his arms in defense.

"Emperor, stop it! Call them off!"

The next thing Takao remembered was waking up a few hours later, unable to see his cell, with a dull, aching pain in his eyes and ankles.

oOoOo

* * *

There was a quiet knock on the backdoor.

It was dark outside, and the bakery was closed for the night. Himuro rubbed his tired eyes and opened the door quietly, welcoming the other man. Neither spoke until the door was safely closed and a lamp was dimly lit in the corner of the room.

"How's it looking, Leo?"

"It's Reo, Himuro," he shot back instantly, pouting a bit and crossing his arms.

"Sorry, sorry."

"Kiyoshi's fine, if he's who you're concerned about," he reported, setting his bag down on the table and taking a seat. "He's doing much better than the last time I saw him."

"I appreciate your help, Leo. Taiga's been worried about him." Himuro sat down again. "I know that this is dangerous work I've asked you to do for me."

"It's no more dangerous than going to the prison to help that poor boy who used to work for the emperor." Mibuchi shrugged. "Have you heard from the captain?"

Himuro nodded. "He's agreed to help. The execution will be in two days. Evidently, they've pushed it up because of Kuroko-kun's death."

"Oh?" Mibuchi leaned back in his chair. "That's impressive. How did you convince him? Surely it wasn't just for the good of the kingdom."

Himuro cocked his head at the question. "It didn't take much. I told him about his friend, and I told him that it wasn't completely hopeless. I know the conditions of those working for the Emperor. It isn't fun."

"Indeed it isn't," Mibuchi agreed softly.

"But this plan is even riskier than the first one, and it's all or nothing. If we mess up…"

"Don't dwell on the if's, Himuro. If I hadn't stopped working for the emperor several people would have died, but I would be safe. If you don't continue helping the oppressed, they will continue to be oppressed," he said. "Understand?"

Himuro sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yes, of course I understand all that." He avoided looking at the doctor by turning and making him a plate of bread, cheese, and butter. He offered him some coffee, and started making a pot when Mibuchi accepted.

Mibuchi watched him carefully. It was funny how Himuro thought that smile would fool him.

"I went and checked on your sleeping beauty, as well."

Himuro stopped with his back still towards him.

"The poison I gave to you for him might have been a little strong."

Himuro spun around, his mouth gaping.

"Don't worry, he won't die," Mibuchi explained, a playful smiling sliding on to his lips. "He should have woken up by now, though. He'll wake up soon. I told Kagami to be careful about what he fed the boy when he wakes up."

Himuro relaxed and handed Mibuchi the plate and mug of coffee, sitting down across from him at the table. "Thank you, Leo. Thank you for all of your help."

* * *

oOoOo

Daiki was sitting on the couch, waiting for Kuroko to get home from work. The sunshine was pouring in through the window, and he started to doze off. He'd hadn't heard him when the door opened, but he heard the quiet thud of his head against the table. Daiki opened his eyes and peered in to the kitchen. He saw Kuroko, eyes closed, with his head on the table, shaking. He knew him, but this feeling of rage coming from him was unfamiliar.

"Tetsu?"

He looked to the side, his head staying on the table. "I'm sorry, Aomine-kun. I had a bad day at work. Did I wake you?"

"I was waiting for you to get home," he answered. He hesitated. "Are you okay?"

Kuroko sat up straight and turned so he wasn't looking at Daiki. "Aomine-kun," he began, "how do you feel about this place?"

Daiki stared hard at Kuroko.

"What?"

Kuroko sighed a little. "The kingdom. What do you think of it?"

"I think it's full of shit," he answered instantly. After a few seconds of thinking, he quickly added that, "maybe it's not so bad lately."

It seemed like a long time passed before either of them said anything else. Kuroko, still not looking at his friend, spoke first. "The Emperor… he – he doesn't think…" he stuttered; whether it was from anger or sadness, Daiki wasn't sure, "he doesn't believe the children here… need an education, and… and he's ordered us to shut down the school…"

Daiki went and sat down next to Kuroko.

"Not to mention the low access to medical treatment here…" Kuroko mumbled thoughtfully.

"What?" Daiki didn't know much about politics or economics, but he knew that he didn't like seeing Kuroko so upset. He knew that Satsuki was worried about him and Kuroko staying in such a low-income area. There was a throbbing anger that felt heavy in his head and fists.

"The Emperor's given up on people he doesn't see potential in."

Daiki bit his lip. "He offered me a position in his guard, but I'll be damned if I work for that prick…"

Kuroko smiled softly, finally looking at him. "I'm not surprised he offered you something like that…"

"If I'm good enough for him, I'm good enough to go against him, right?"

"But Aomine-kun…"

"We can do it. I'll protect your school. We can do it together, right?"

Kuroko smiled. "I suppose there's always a chance it could work."

oOoOo

It had been a long time since he'd thought of how this all started. The anger from that time resounded in his brain before it fell to his stomach when he sat up, recognizing the reality of the prison. He rubbed his eyes hard. Daiki only looked up when he'd heard footsteps stop in front of his cell.

A tall, slim blonde stood in front of his prison door. Daiki rose and walked to the door to meet him.

"What do you want, Kise?"

He'd tried to smile. "Don't be like that, Aominecchi."

"If you're here to talk, I'm not in the mood." Kise's face stayed the same, and Daiki recognized the dread on his face. "If you're here to tell me I'm going to die, I already know that."

"Tomorrow," he said softly.

"I'm being killed tomorrow?"

"Executed," Kise said. "Executed."

"Executed or killed, it's the same. All that matters is that I'm going to a place that isn't here, right?" Daiki scowled.

"Right," Kise agreed.

"It better be you that's doing it. Anybody else and I won't take it. I'll kill them."

He sighed, a small, pathetic excuse for a smile on his face. "It's me. I'm set to execute you tomorrow evening."

"Huh?" Daiki took a few steps back and fell on to his bed. "Don't they usually do these things in the morning?"

"Yes, but…" Kise swallowed hard. "But the Emperor wants to witness your execution himself." He looked away, biting his lip to stop himself from crying.

Daiki stayed quiet this time.

"I guess it's just as well, right?" He asked quietly, staring at the wall he used to share with Kuroko.

"I needed to ask if you had any final requests."

"No, nothing."

A brief moment passed.

"I'll come for you tomorrow, Aominecchi."

"Kise." He looked up. Daiki smiled. "Thanks. If anybody's taking my head, I'm glad it's you."

He smiled before leaving his line of vision.

He heard Takao mumbling down the hall. "It's the same as always, Mibuchi…"

Then a different voice. One he hadn't heard before. "Take off those bandages. Let me see how your eyes are doing."

"Mibuchi," Takao drawled, "I know you're worried about them. But please tell me the state of them. It's uncomfortable knowing how much they hurt sometimes, but not knowing if they'll heal." He undid the bandages despite his protests.

"It's not looking good, Takao. I don't have access to antibiotics since the Emperor revoked my license. The most I can do is sanitize it when I come see you, but the cuts are already infected," he explained, soaking a small towel in alcohol.

Takao winced as Mibuchi dabbed alcohol on his wounds, and as he spoke. "Be straight with me. Am I going to go blind?"

Mibuchi paused.

"I don't know."

Takao stayed quiet as Mibuchi bandages his eyes again and moved down to check his ankles. "How are these doing? Can you walk at all?"

"A bit, but it hurts when I do."

"Try to avoid it. They're still weak. It would help if you could get a decent meal, but the Emperor won't allow that, will he? At least you have good chefs working here." Mibuchi was rambling as he splinted Takao's ankles, mostly to himself, to keep his mind off what he felt was his failure as a doctor.

"Yeah, I'll try to be careful as I run laps around this tiny cell," Takao replied sarcastically.

Mibuchi sighed. "Take care of yourself. I'm not sure when the next time I'll be able to get in here will be."

"Thanks."

Daiki sighed as he heard them close Takao's cell. He heard them walk further down the hall, the door for the hall open, and soft, now familiar voices speaking and fading in to echoes, and then in to nothingness. He closed his eyes and lay down.

"Does it hurt?"

"What, dying? I imagine it's not as bad as being stuck here."

"No, stupid," Daiki growled. "Your eyes. Do they hurt?"

Takao hummed to himself. He was surprised at the sudden interest. "Sometimes," he decided.

"What a half-assed answer."

Takao chuckled. "Are you scared, Aomine-kun?"

"No." The only hope he knew he had in him, was the hope of meeting Kuroko in whatever afterlife there was.

* * *

Author's note: This brings part one to and end. I have no idea when the second part will be finished. (Seeing as how I haven't started it...) Hope you enjoyed!


	2. Part 2: Plan 1 (part a)

**Authors note:** I don't really know why this part is so long. There's a lot of action and I tried to focus more on detail in this part. Enjoy!

* * *

Hyuuga looked instinctively towards Teppei's bed before finding him on the other side of the room, at the window. He was looking up at the sky at the moon and at the stars. The sky was a deep blue, and the stars were twinkling brightly. The air was still chilly, and when the breeze blew, he shivered. Teppei turned to the door and smiled softly at him.

"I thought you went to bed," he said.

Hyuuga stomped over and crashed on to the bed. "You should be the one in bed, stupid," he replied.

"I couldn't sleep."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it. You know you need to rest," he chided.

"I know," he agreed. He turned back towards the window. There was a dull, aching pain in his bones. It was different from the sharp pains caused by his illness.

Hyuuga was quiet for a long time. Hesitantly, he began, "Riko told you about the plan, right?"

"Yes, but I'm glad she's not involved." He breathed in deeply. He had a bad feeling. "I wish there were simpler ways of resolving these things. But we've got to show them what we're made of, right?"

"Right, it's the only way. This is just the first step of many, so you'd better buck up."

Kiyoshi smiled a little at the familiar haughtiness in Hyuuga's voice, but he couldn't shake this feeling. These pains were a premonition of something much, much bigger. He didn't know of what.

* * *

It was dark in the room, but he could tell from the breathing of the other man that he was still awake. They'd laid in silence for hours after closing, waiting for the other to say something, but neither knowing what to say. Finally fed up, Murasakibara sat up. "What is it, Murochin?"

He pretended like he'd been asleep. His head didn't turn, but his eyes still stared upwards at the ceiling. "Hm?" He hummed sleepily.

"I know you wanted to ask me something. What is it?"

Murasakibara saw his hand clench the blanket over his stomach. "You used to work for the emperor, didn't you? What is he like?" Himuro still didn't move, and he spoke softly. From this angle, Murasakibara couldn't see the expression beneath his thick hair.

"It's hard to explain," he answered. "Sometimes he was nice. Sometimes he was… really scary. I didn't like seeing him like that."

"Do you regret leaving? You wouldn't be a criminal if you hadn't."

Murasakibara lay down again, covering himself with the blanket and rolling so he could watch Himuro across the room. His shoulders relaxed at the question. This self-affirming question was a familiar. This was from the sweet tempered Murochin that he knew and understood. He considered the question carefully.

"I don't regret it. I've told you working for him is hard. He's impossible to please. Working with you is a lot easier. And I don't like what he's doing. Isolating the kingdom and closing it off to foreigners is stupid. I want to send my cakes to places other than this kingdom. Even stupid and poor people deserve to eat sweets."

There was a very quiet chuckle from across the room. Murasakibara saw Himuro roll over so all he could see was his back. "Good night, Atsushi," Himuro said.

That was his signal to shut up, but he was thinking now and he couldn't stop. He tried to imagine what the next day would bring, and how Himuro would handle it. He knew the possibilities were a matter of the least bad ending, rather than the best one. Murasakibara shut his eyes hard and tried to block it from his mind. He worried about the consequences. He didn't want to live in a kingdom without Murochin.

* * *

oOoOo

"I am proud of you," Kuroko said. "Thank you for stopping them from tearing down the school, Aomine-kun. I didn't mean for you to get hurt."

"It doesn't hurt that much," he said. "It's only going to get harder, from here on out, though." And he meant it. This was a bold act of defiance. The thought of it excited Daiki, but he struggled to keep down the worry he had for his friend.

"Have you heard the rumors about the capital, Aomine-kun?"

"Which ones?"

"About the prison. They say that some people have escaped. It seems the Emperor is overlooking it, as the criminals are mostly small time, but I have an odd feeling about it." Daiki turned to Kuroko, who was looking ahead of him with distant eyes. "He should be worried."

oOoOo

He opened his eyes.

* * *

Daiki found himself wishing he'd woken up to watch the sun rise, but he'd slept, dreaming of his dead comrade. There was a spark of relief and hope when he found himself thinking of the smaller man. When he woke up, he took his time staring at the blue sky from his yellowing mattress.

All he could think of was Kuroko.

Takao didn't say anything until the afternoon. Daiki rolled over in his bed so he could see him as he spoke.

"Kise-kun will be here soon."

Takao was holding himself up, looking in Daiki's direction, and he wondered if he could even see him. His robes were trailing on the ground behind him, but his bandaged ankles were still visible from the front. He could barely make out a concerned look beneath the bandages and loose black bangs of hair.

"Didn't the doctor tell you not to walk?" He retorted, rolling back to look at the sky.

He was quiet for a moment. Daiki could hear the dull scraping of Takao's feet as he walked back to his bed. His voice echoed quietly, ambivalently, down the corridor, "If you see Shin-chan with the emperor, please tell him hello for me."

A crash from the door at the end of the hall interrupted the tense moment of silence between the two. There was a soft clank from his white armor with every step he took. He passed Takao's cell and stopped in front of Daiki's.

"Come on, Aominecchi," he called in the best sing song voice he could manage. He unlocked the cell.

Daiki stood up slowly and stretched.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

Daiki turned to look at the captain. He thought that Kise shouldn't have such an upset look on his face when he wasn't the one that was going to die. Daiki thought that maybe he should have an expression closer to Kise's, because he was the one that was going to die.

"I'm ready."

All he could think of was Kuroko.

* * *

Himuro was still while Murasakibara raced around the bakery, cleaning everything, and setting the displays straight, and finishing the cakes in the oven. He disliked seeing this Himuro. This Himuro was quiet in a different way than usual. His poker face was only different enough that those closest to him would notice. He wasn't helping as he usually would, and he was completely unmoving.

Murasakibara was in the kitchen, piping icing in fluffy spires around the perimeter of the cakes that were finished cooling, when Himuro finally lowered his hands from his mouth. He didn't hear the quiet words his partner uttered before they went out, not for their lunch break, but to instead watch the public execution of a small time criminal who was put to death for treasonous acts against the emperor.

His eyes were unmoving from the polished wood floors as he spoke. He clenched his hands together and sighed.

"It's over."

* * *

"There sure are a lot of people here, huh?" Daiki murmured.

"A public execution isn't an everyday thing, Aominecchi. Especially an infamous criminal who staged a rebellion," Kise replied. His eyes were fixed on the ground, while Daiki's darted around the crowd in front of him. "And especially if the emperor himself is coming to see it."

"He's late, isn't he?" He spat. "Shouldn't punctuality be a requirement of him?"

"Please be quiet, Aominecchi." Kise sighed, exasperated, and looked up. He looked out at the people from his stand. Blank, vaguely curious eyes stared up at them. He caught sight of who he believed to be Alex Garcia, wearing a loose, long sleeved shirt and snug fitting slacks. Beside him was Murasakibara, snacking on a loaf of bread. He was wearing a dusty looking shirt that was tied at his hips, and capri pants.

Alex Garcia smiled at him, and Kise looked back at the ground, wishing that this whole thing could be over already. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on what they'd agreed on earlier. The plan was impossible now that the Emperor was planning to come.

* * *

"Taiga, are you sure you want me to go? Why not take that cute girl that's friends with Teppei?"

"You have to go for Tatsuya's alibi to be solid," he answered, folding laundry. He looked thoughtfully at a pair of pants that was far too small for him. "Is this yours? Put some damn clothes on, would you?" He tossed the pants behind him.

"Taiga, don't throw things at me!" She shouted, catching the clothes midair. She slipped the capris on underneath her loose fitting blouse. "I don't see why we need to get all dressed up to go to an execution," she mumbled under her breath, tying a belt around her waist. She put on her glasses and blinked until Kagami's large back came in to focus.

He was faced away from her as he folded the laundry. His shoulders were slumped.

"And isn't this putting me in danger?"

"No, it's not." A pause. "Well, maybe it is."

"Taiga!" She yelled.

"Here's the thing. Tatsuya's in a lot more danger than the rest of us because he's the mastermind. If you're there, if people find out who you are, it should help clear him. It'll be a weird coincidence for you to show up, at least."

"I don't want to watch anybody die," she confessed in a voice so soft that Kagami hadn't heard her.

He stood up straight and looked sideways out the window. "We should get going," he mumbled. She hopped up and, sliding her hand in his, walked out the front door with him.

"Let's go, Alex."

* * *

"Hey, specs. You're Shintarou, right? Takao wanted me to tell you hi for him," Daiki said, his neck twisted up to glare at the emperor and his aide.

Midorima's eyes focused as he looked down at Daiki. Before he could even open his mouth to speak, the emperor shushed him. He smashed his foot in to Daiki's jaw. Daiki scowled and forced a glare past his boot, up at the emperor.

"You would do well not to make me mad. Do you know who I am, Daiki?" There was a wicked smile on his face. One red and one golden eye stared down at him, wide with fury. The red of his hair and the gold embroidery of his white robes sparkled in the sunlight.

"I am Akashi."

He stood up straight again and turned to the people.

"Everybody, I do apologize. First, I've made you wait, and then I show you an unsightly scene of violence. However, please know that this man is a traitor of the kingdom that I have worked so hard to make what it is today. I do not take treason lightly, which is why I've chosen to make an example with this boy. If he is not punished, others will come and try to take away all of the hard work we've put in to this great kingdom. Please, everybody, observe closely, and I will show you how much this country means to me. Ryouta, please." The emperor took a few steps away from Daiki and looked expectantly at Kise.

He raised his sword, and Daiki thought eagerly of seeing Kuroko again. He closed his eyes and waited. He felt nothing inside any longer, and he waited for the instant of pain, and then nothing.

* * *

"Shit, Alex, run!" Kagami shouted. "We're going to miss our chance!"

He pulled the blonde by her hand and stopped just short of leaving the alley when he heard a loud voice. Kagami could see Himuro's horrified expression from the alleyway.

"Taiga, what are you—"

"Sh!" He hissed fiercely. His hand tightened around hers. From behind the building they were at, he could see Himuro stare up in horror at the stage they'd erected for the execution. He heard a voice.

"Ryouta, please."

Kagami peeked around the side. Daiki was knelt down, and Kise was above him with a sword. The emperor stood nearby, in elaborate and sparkling robes, smiling. His bespectacled aide was standing nearby with a straight face that didn't seem to be focused on anything.

He took a few steps back and started running through the back alleys, quietly shouting for Alex to follow.

* * *

The first thing he saw was the shocked expressions of the audience.

He rubbed a sharp pain in his rib cage before realizing his hands were free from the ropes that held them. Daiki quickly found his footing and turned towards the emperor.

"Aominecchi, go!" Kise yelled, barely taking his eyes off the emperor to shout over his shoulder.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Kise?"

"What does it look like? I'm your knight in shining armor."

"He'll kill you," Daiki returned. He took a step forward to throw Kise off the stage and attack Akashi himself. He stopped at the ferocity in Kise's voice.

"I made a promise! Now, go! Go find Alex! He'll help you!"

"Alex?"

"Have a bit of faith in the man that arrested you, won't you?" Kise forced an insulted scoff through his worried frown. He reached behind him and shoved Daiki off the stage.

He stared up at the stage, his body instinctively finding its way on to his feet. Mad hands of the mob grabbed at the convict. Midorima stood defensively in front of Akashi. Kise stood ready to attack them both.

"How bold of you, Ryota," the emperor cooed. "Shintarou, the flare."

"Flare?" Kise repeated in a harsh whisper. Had he been expecting a betrayal?

"Stop, I have to help him!" Daiki yelled desperately, pulling away from the civilians in a flurry of fists and elbows.

Midorima drew a small firework from his robes. "Are you sure, Emperor?"

"Do not disobey me."

Kise ran and dove for the flare. Daiki clawed his way up the deck in a clumsy attempt to help Kise. A small, but strong hand grabbed on to his ankle. Midorima's glasses were thrown towards the crowd of civilians, but the flare was shot. The mob stopped grabbing at Daiki, their attention drawn instead towards the sky, except for the strong hold on his ankle.

Beneath the boom of the fire work was a soft voice in his ear. "Aomine-kun, quick! Go to the alley!" Before Daiki could turn and see, he was being pushed and shuffled through the panicked crowd towards the alley, instead of pulled in to the middle of it. When he turned, all he could find was confused, unfamiliar faces, as they watched Kise scramble against Midorima, and tried to make their own escape. He continued towards the alleyway.

In the parts of his heart he chose to ignore, Daiki knew there was a glimmer of hope that the person would be Kuroko. He was faced instead with a tall man in worn clothes and a hood covering his head and shoulders.

"If you want to see Kuroko again, come with me!" He said.

Daiki followed the man until the hysterical screaming was out of ear shot. What he intended to be a demanding, threatening bite, came out as a soft and tired whisper. "Tetsu's alive?" he asked. There was a pang in his chest as that glimmer of hope started to burn in his heart.

"Wait," the man answered.

"Who are you?" His voice had found its tremor, and his mouth had settled in to a scowl.

"Wait," he said again. "I'll explain everything, but we need to get to where it's safe. Wear this." He tossed a dirty cloak behind him. Daiki caught it and covered himself with it.

"I'm not going anywhere until you answer some questions."

"You're gonna have to, Aomine. A lot of people are putting their lives on the line for you." He looked around before jumping through a window, and signaling for Aomine to follow.

He took one final glance up at the reddened sky, thinking of the possibility that both Kuroko and Kise would be alive, before following the man through the window.

* * *

"Kise, stand down," Midorima ordered.

"I can't let you go after them. Aominecchi might be the one who can change this kingdom," Kise sighed.

"Change it? What exactly needs to be changed?" Akashi scoffed. "It's wonderful as it is."

Murasakibara held a tight hold on the back of Himuro's shirt since he'd darted towards the platform in a desperate attempt to help Daiki. His eyes darted from the stage to the remaining audience. Everyone was paralyzed, watching the knight and the emperor with a disgusted interest. Blonde hair finally caught his eye.

"Alex!" He yelled. He pulled Murasakibara over to her. "Koganei, get her out of here! This is no place for a lady!"

Koganei nodded furiously, grabbing Alex's hands. She pulled him back, staring Himuro straight in the eyes. He knew she was wondering what he was planning, what he would do, if he would be okay. He didn't know the answer to any of her questions.

"Atsushi, go with them."

"No, I'm staying. You can't do this alone."

"He knows you, Atsushi!"

"I'm not leaving you here! Not after that stunt you pulled!"

Himuro bit his lip. "Koganei, take Alex. Atsushi and I will be there shortly. If we're not there by the time the bakery closes, move without us. Do not stray from the plan."

"Be careful," she said, stroking his cheek softly with her fingers. Koganei pulled her away, and the two ran off together.

Himuro turned his attention back to the stage. There was a stalemate. Kise had taken a few steps away from Midorima after the flare shot off, but he was certainly close enough for Midorima to see the weaknesses in Kise's armor.

"Tell me who this Alex is, Ryouta," Akashi demanded.

"It won't be so easy." He scoffed, wanting so badly to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He wasn't expecting help from the one he thought was Alex – the one he understood now to be someone entirely different. He was expecting to die now.

Akashi sighed, lulling his head to the side. "Shintarou, go after Daiki." Kise mirrored Midorima's steps to keep him from following Aomine. He froze when he heard the familiar click of a gun. "Ryouta, please stop being difficult."

The remaining mob of bystanders fled when Akashi drew a pistol from his robes. Murasakibara and Himuro ducked behind the corner of a small building. The bigger man could feel the instinctive jerks of his friend as he held him back from following Midorima down the alley.

"Atsushi." Himuro breathing was growing shallow and quick. "We have to do something. If Taiga gets caught…"

"Calm down."

"Taiga can't die, Atsushi."

"Shut up and think."

"I can't!" Himuro leaned back in to Mursakibara's arms, covering his eyes with his hands. He bit his lips, reviewing the plan, the backup plans, and the improvations he'd tried to account for. He thought of all the people counting on him. All the lives he'd saved, and all the lives he was about to lose. He tried to see black, but all he could see was blood.

He opened his eyes.

"Leo."

"What?"

"Atsushi, I have a plan. Leo should be at the rendezvous. Go get him and meet Midorima halfway. Avoid letting him see you. Let Leo do the talking. Tell Taiga to move to the next point. Leave Koganei and Alex there. It needs to be natural, just in case," he explained in a fast whisper. His eyes watched Kise and Akashi intently as he spoke.

"And you?"

"I'll meet up with you all later. I'll be careful. Please go, quickly."

Murasakibara stared at him, evaluating the plan speechlessly. He rose and disappeared in to the backstreets of the town.

Kise and Akashi still hadn't moved. The emperor was cool and collected. Kise was sweating and struggling to keep a smile. Himuro's mind was racing.

"It truly is a shame that it's come to this, Ryouta. I'm sure you know by now that I never lose. My kingdom is strong. Even with someone like you supporting these rebels, they will be stopped, and they will be killed. If you won't speak, then I have no use for you." Akashi closed one eye and took aim.

Himuro saw Kise charge. He heard him yell.

His stomach churned.

"Goodbye, Ryouta."

* * *

There was a blonde goddess in front of him. She had the cutest smile, and light eyes. Besides her huge chest and long legs, she also gave him a kiss as soon as she'd seen him. "I'm glad you're safe," she'd said. But instead of thinking of the hot lips that had clashed with his, all he could think of was the last time he'd touched Kuroko's hand before he died.

"Just take me to him already," Daiki said finally.

"We have to wait."

"Then explain to me who you people are! Kise's going to die because of what he did!"

"Daiki, please be patient. We need to wait for Tatsuya," she said.

Daiki huffed and shut his mouth. He didn't like these people, whoever they were. (Except for the girl, whose boobs were probably even bigger than Satsuki's.) He didn't like this stupid cloak, and he hated the red haired man who he knew he'd seen before. He recognized his voice and he could almost remember where he'd seen him. It was bugging the hell out of him.

"It's dangerous having all these convicts in one place," Mibuchi mumbled quietly. He was keeping watch through the slats on Koganei's wooden shudders. "I wish he would get here soon. If we can get Kise out alive, I can probably save him, but… Damn, why did the Emperor have to be there?"

"Sorry to take up your place like this, Koganei." Kagami was hunched over in his seat, an intense stare focused on the floor in front of him. "It was Tatsuya's idea."

"Eh, well, it's alright." Koganei scratched the back of his head nervously. "I'm glad to help, and Mitobe is right down the street, if you need to relocate, so…"

"Yeah, he said it was the ideal place because of that," he mumbled in some sort of agreement with his absent friend.

"It's a bit too close for comfort." Mibuchi sighed. "I wish we could turn on the lights, but it would draw attention to your back room, wouldn't it?"

Daiki's chair crashed to the ground as he stood up.

"You work at the prison," he said. "I remember you now. You're the chef, aren't you? What the hell do you want with me?"

"It took you that long to recognize me?" Kagami laughed mirthlessly. "Look, I want your help. I'll explain everything once Tatsuya gets here."

Aomine socked Kagami in the jaw, sending him to the ground, before he could explain himself any further. "Bull shit! You killed Tetsu, didn't you? I should kill you right now, you worthless piece of shit!"

"Daiki, stop!" Alex yelled, rushing to Kagami's side.

"Aomine-kun," Mibuchi hissed, "we're trying to help you escape. Do not get us caught. You're not the only one with their life on the line right now."

"We're putting our lives on the line for you," Alex scowled. "Don't take this lightly, Daiki."

"Shut up! I wanted to die!"

Mibuchi turned quickly back to the window at the sight of a large sillhouette. "Murasakibara's coming." He paused. "He looks like he's alone."

Alex and Kagami both spun towards the doctor. In a few moments, there was a knock on the front door, and Koganei went to answer it. Murasakibara forced his way in, slamming the door behind him.

"Mibuchin, we need your help. Come with me."

"Is Kise alright?" Daiki blurted out.

Slanted, purple eyes turned to look down at him. "I don't know," he answered before turning his attention back to Mibuchi. "Murochin says we need to intercept Midochin."

"Midorima?" He repeated quietly. He stayed quiet as he thought for a moment. "Yes, I know what to say to him. He must be on his way here, right? Let's go."

"Kagami is supposed to move on with Aomine. Koganei and Alex are to stay here to avoid suspicion."

"What about Tatsuya?" Kagami asked.

"He said he'd catch up," Murasakibara answered.

"Will he be okay on his own?" Alex asked. Her brows were turned up with worry, and her fists were clenched in her lap.

Murasakibara sighed loudly. "I don't think he had a plan for himself, but I trust him. Just do as you're told and it will turn out okay."

"I'm not going anywhere until I get some answers," Daiki scowled.

Again, those purple eyes turned on him. A large hand reached down and squeezed his shoulder until it hurt and the edges of his vision started to dim. "You're annoying," Murasakibara decided, right before Daiki fell to the ground, unconscious.

There was a moment of silence after Daiki's dull thud on the ground before Kagami finally muttered a gracious, "thanks, Murasakibara."

"So you all understand the plan? Let's go."

Murasakibara followed Mibuchi out the back way. Kagami hoisted Daiki on to his back before throwing on a cloak (with Alex's help), and leaving through the front.

* * *

He'd heard the gun shot from a few streets over. He knew how it all ended between the two of them, but he wasn't sure what he was to do now. It was already dark, and though the criminals' tracks weren't impossible to follow under the cover of darkness yet, it was certainly on its way.

Midorima sighed softly and removed his glasses to clean them.

It hurt to know that Takao still thought of him, in the prison he was thrown in to. It hurt everything. He would be going blind, and he might never walk again. He knew how the emperor's mind worked, and he knew that an execution would be too merciful.

He put his glasses back on and looked straight ahead.

"Mibuchi," he acknowledged. "It isn't wise to show yourself to me, the emperor's personal assistant."

"Personal lap dog, more like," he corrected.

"Why did you come to me?" Midorima asked. Though shrouded in the black shadows of the night, Midorima could see the sarcastic smile on the doctor's face.

"I'll be straight, Midorima." He sighed. The smile faded. "That boy of yours in the prison, Takao. He isn't doing well."

"I had a feeling it was you who was seeing him. Kise told me of his condition." Midorima's eyes strayed from his target ever so slightly.

"No, I couldn't see him until very recently," he answered. "Perhaps if I could have, I could have done more for him. If I had access to antibiotics, I could have."

"Perhaps," Midorima echoed softly.

"Kise wanted to do what was right, Midorima. You know that."

"I am well aware. Unfortunately, that naivety has gotten him killed."

Mibuchi frowned. "He's dead?"

"I believe so. I heard the emperor's gun fire."

Mibuchi sighed and leaned against a stone wall. The dim light from the rising moon hit his face, finally. Midorima watched him carefully. His brows furrowed in thought, and he brought those slim hands to his chin. Midorima relaxed as he saw, and was surprised to feel that, for the first time in a long time, he didn't feel threatened.

"Midorima," he began. "Without Kise's help, I won't be able to get in to the prison and help that boy."

"Why are you telling me this, Mibuchi?" Midorima tore his eyes away from the felon. "I can't help you."

"You could." Midorima could hear the smile come back to Mibuchi's lips. "You know that parts of this country are suffering. If you help the rebels, you could make a difference."

The other man fixed his eyes on the bottom of his slacks, spotted with dirt and dust. He clenched his fists and ground his teeth.

"Don't you remember what Kise told you? You don't owe the emperor anything. But don't you owe that boy something?"

"Enough!" Midorima shouted. He raised his eyes and looked at the doctor, perched on a barrel. He could barely make out the smile on the other man's face. "Enough, Mibuchi. As thanks for taking care of Takao, I'll forget that I saw you tonight."

"I thought you might, Midorima. I sincerely hope he keeps his sight." Midorima turned and began to walk away. Mibuchi stood up. "Does the emperor still own that small barn owl? Send that bird, if you decide to help us."

There was a pause in his stride. He said nothing before continuing home.

* * *

"What do you think, Koganei?" Alex was brooding over her cup of coffee. Her hands were clamped tightly around the mug to keep them from shaking. She hadn't said a word since Murasakibara had left out the window.

He was in the living room, sweeping the floor. He turned to look at her. "I don't know," he said. "Himuro's smart, isn't he? But between him and the emperor, I think the emperor wins out. His guard will be crawling through the city, won't they?"

"Probably. I think Taiga should be safe, he was in the alley the whole time."

"What about Himuro?"

She took a small sip of the bitter drink. "If anybody saw him, he's in trouble." Her head sunk until her forehead hit the table. "There were too many people there not to see."

"He's in trouble," Koganei concluded in a whisper. He turned back to his sweeping, wishing hard that he could talk to anybody but her about this.

* * *

Mibuchi was nearly jogging, trying to keep up with the taller man's quick stride. He wasn't familiar with the sharp turns and curving alleys in this part of the capital. Murasakibara clearly was. "When he said he'd catch up, did he mean he'd catch up at Kagami's?"

"Probably," Murasakibara answered.

"Isn't Kagami's the other way?"

"Yeah. We're going to the bakery."

Mibuchi sighed loudly. "May I ask why?" He asked impatiently. Murasakibara stopped suddenly, and Mibuchi ran face first in to his shoulder.

"Midochin said Kise died, didn't he?" He waited for Mibuchi to mumble a confirmation. "That means Murochin probably saw it. He's at the bakery." Slightly impressed at the deduction, Mibuchi followed him the rest of the way in silence. Murasakibara unlocked the back door and entered in to the dark back room. Their eyes scanned the room.

It was empty.

"Murasakibara, he might be headed towards Kagami's."

"He's upstairs. Wait here," he ordered. He made his way slowly up the stairs. Himuro was sitting on his bed, the butt of his palms smashed in to his eyes. He was hunched over, his breathing ragged. His whole body was shaking. "Murochin?"

He stopped completely. Then, he rubbed his eyes and looked up. "Atsushi, what are you doing here? What about Midorima? And Taiga?"

"Everything went according to your plan," he said. Murasakibara slid next to Himuro, watching him intently.

Himuro was avoiding looking at him now. His brow was furrowed as he thought and explained, "That's good. Is Leo here? The guard is busy now, but they're close. We'll need to be careful, but I doubt that they'll even notice him. By the time they're ready, any trail of Aomine should be gone. I'm worried about witnesses, though… They might question Alex. I'm bating on the fact that –"

"Murochin."

Himuro's head snapped up to look at Murasakibara. "What's wrong, Atsushi?"

"Calm down." Murasakibara took him by the shoulders. "I told you everything went according to plan." He stared in to those blue eyes of his. Himuro was still shaking beneath his grip, and, even in the dark, he could see the shock his friend was in.

It came as nearly a whisper, as Himuro tried to smile. "No, it didn't."

His eyes unfocused as he remembered vividly the murder he saw, as he sat helplessly around a corner. All he could think of was Kise's lifeless body in front of him. When he sat in silence, the fatal gunshot was all he could hear. The color red stained his thoughts and the darkness of closed eyes. He knew there was a life now on his shoulders, and he could feel how heavy it was.

He wondered how the emperor could handle the weight of all the lives he'd stolen.

* * *

oOoOo

"Good morning, Aomine-kun," Kuroko would always say, that subtle smile on his lips. "Momoi-san is coming to help us plan today. She won't be happy to know that I've let you sleep in."

He grumbled a reply and rubbed his eyes. Kuroko always had toast and coffee ready for them in the morning. He'd say that an army is only as strong as their stomachs are full. (Even though coffee and toast is a shabby breakfast, it was better than nothing.) Daiki was grateful for the meals, and the bed, and the roof over his head. He was even more grateful for a friend who understood his hate for the kingdom.

Daiki couldn't remember how they gained a following. It started with the school, then defending a few foreigners, and it snowballed in to a full on rebellion. He couldn't say he wasn't happy, finally meeting a challenge he thought was actually worth something. He'd never prepared for the consequences. At that point, he hadn't even thought of them.

oOoOo

The first thing that registered was the smell of coffee. His eyes opened slowly to a dark room. The next thing he realized was that he wasn't in prison, and his ribs and shoulder hurt. Daiki sat up quietly and looked around. He'd half expected this to be Kuroko's house, but it was unfamiliar and more comfortable. There was a light on in the next room. He heard voices, but not voices he recognized.

He stopped moving. He stopped breathing, straining his ears to listen, hoping he'd hear Kuroko's voice. It was no use. He heard words like "useful," like "according to plan." These were words Daiki hated since he'd said things like them before he was caught and thrown in prison.

He rose quietly, and left.

He climbed out through the back window and started down the street. He knew he'd find himself houseless and hungry. He knew that he'd be caught soon, and that there was no hope left in him. He had no faith in these people. The only person he could trust was himself.

"Damn, it's getting cold," he whispered. "Was I locked up that long?" He stopped and looked up at the sky. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. A small smile came to his lips as he breathed the fresh air and felt the breeze on his arms.

"Freedom isn't so bad, is it, Aomine-kun?"

Daiki spun around.

* * *

"Can you walk?"

"Yes, I'll be fine." Teppei smiled. Despite the circumstances, he was happy to go outside and walk around. "You don't think he'll know who I am, do you?"

"I doubt it." Hyuuga snorted. "It might be easier to explain things, if he did. Damn it! Himuro didn't think things entirely through, did he?"

"Well, things certainly went awry when Kise-kun couldn't explain to Aomine-kun what was going on," Teppei explained. He slid on his shirt and grabbed a cane (just in case, Riko insisted). "We can only hope that he'll agree to help us."

The other man grunted as the two left their house. Teppei hummed quietly as they walked towards Kagami's house. "It's getting colder, isn't it? I guess summer really is over," he said, thoughtfully. The streets were dark and quiet. Teppei was thankful there was enough light to see the road, so he wouldn't trip. He'd described it as peaceful.

"I guess it is," Hyuuga agreed. There were few people on the streets, but they'd crossed paths with a few members of the emperor's guard. Normally, there would be more civilians out. The military would eye them suspiciously when they passed. He'd described it as tense.

Teppei didn't feel the same way until a particular figure, silhouetted by the light catching on his armor, stopped and smiled at them. "The cold isn't good for your bones, is it, Kiyoshi?"

The two stopped.

Teppei's eyes were wide as he recognized the voice. Hyuuga responded quickly with a scowl and a glare. "What the fuck do you want?" He barked.

"Hyuuga," Teepei scolded. He'd regained his composure, and was watching the man carefully. "That's no way to speak to a member of the emperor's guard."

"Captain," he corrected. "The unfortunate death of Kise has left me in charge."

Teppei's face dropped in surprise. "Congratulations, Hanamiya."

He smiled again, the light barely catching his eyes and lips. He shifted his weight from side to side and ruffled his own hair. "Thanks," he answered. "It's been a long time, hasn't it, since you were captain?"

"It's been almost a year," Teppei answered.

"Mm, but it's been so much longer since anybody thought of you as captain. Ever since Kise joined the guard, everybody knew the emperor was just looking for an excuse to discharge you." He laughed out loud. "Too bad it had to end that way."

Teppei watched Hanamiya carefully. Hyuuga answered for him, "yeah, it was, huh? Considering you wanted his position for yourself."

"Hyuuga," Teppei said again.

"It's okay," Hanamiya insisted. "It's true. I did. But the important thing, now, is that I'm captain, Kise is dead, and you're knocking on death's door. Isn't that right?"

"I think I'm getting better, thanks." Teppei smiled, but the pain in his knees was undeniable. Hanamiya chuckled, rocking back and forth, like he always did. "Good luck with your work, Hanamiya. I understand you've got a bit of a crisis on your hands."

"Ah," he drawled. "It's nothing I can't handle."

"Let's hope so." Teppei gently pulled his glaring friend away from the knight. Hanamiya watched them carefully, a grimace of his own, until they were out of sight. Hyuuga, finally cooling down, glanced over at Teppei. He had stopped humming, and he had a hard look on his face.

Hyuuga sighed loudly. "Hurry up, slowpoke. Riko should be there already," he demanded, slapping Teppei on the back and jogging a few steps ahead. Breathing slowly, he regained a small smile, and followed his friend.

* * *

Standing before him was a phantom.

His white hair caught the light and shined blue. His face was just as expressionless as usual. But there was a smile there, somewhere. He could feel it. The light blue of his eyes was piercing through the darkness, and Daiki wasn't sure whether or not he was dreaming.

"Tetsu?" He asked slowly.

Finally, he saw those lips twitch in to a small smile.

"It's been a long time since we've seen each other, Aomine-kun," he said.

He was speechless, still. He was stunned. He grabbed the smaller man and hugged him.

"I thought you were dead," he finally said.

"Is that why you told them you wanted to die?"

Kuroko waited patiently for an answer. He was warm in Daiki's arms, and bonier than he'd been before they were locked up. Daiki struggled to come up with an answer to that question. "Yes – maybe – I don't know," he stuttered. "I didn't want to help them."

"Aomine-kun," Kuroko began, unwrapping himself from the darker man's arms. "I don't like leaving things unfinished. Kagami-kun has been explaining the situation to me. He wants our help to overthrow the emperor."

"I don't care about any of that."

"Nothing is different from when we were captured. If anything, things have gotten worse. We have made small differences, but that doesn't mean we can't do something bigger."

Daiki huffed and turned around. "We could leave, you know. The two of us. We could escape to another country. What do we owe those punks?"

"Our lives," he answered plainly. "I've decided I want to help them take down Akashi-kun. If you want to leave, I understand, but I hope you'll come back with me." Daiki didn't answer. "At the very least, Aomine-kun, I don't want you to think that your life has lost purpose. Please never say that you want to die again."

"I'm not some advocate for justice, Tetsu. I'm just a criminal." Daiki's shoulders slumped. "I've always been a criminal."

Kuroko pouted. "Aomine-kun, the only difference between a rebellion and a revolution is which side wins. There's always a chance. Between Kagami-kun and you and I, there's no way we can lose. Kagami-kun has very capable friends. But things will only get harder from here on out."

Daiki turned back to look at his friend, familiar words ringing in his ears.

"It's dangerous out here. At least make your decision indoors, where it's a bit safer."

He considered his options. He hated the indoors now, but at least this way he might be able to come outside occasionally. He wouldn't be alone, anymore. Daiki followed Kuroko back in to the house.

* * *

"He suspects something," Teppei began quietly.

Hyuuga scoffed. "I don't like where this is going."

Teppei sighed, rounding the corner towards Kagami's. "I don't either. We'll need to talk to Riko and everybody else about this. We might need to lay low for a while."

"Big surprise there, considering," Hyuuga answered. He knocked on the door. "The important thing now is to find out who we can count on. The bakery's got a big order, and they need help, you know?"

Teppei nodded, and put on a big smile when Kagami opened the door. The two were let in to the house, and led in to the small, windowless study. The only light was a small gas lamp set on the desk that gave off a warm, orange glow.

Teppei surveyed the room. Riko was sitting on the desk next to the lamp, biting her nails, with brows furrowed, until she saw Teppei. She smiled at him from across the room. Kagami closed the door and slumped against it. The two escapees were sitting on the bed.

"This is where he was hiding you, hm?" Teppei asked. He made his way across the room and slid in to the chair next to the desk. "How are you two feeling?"

"Just fine, a bit hungry, thank you," Kuroko answered. Daiki scoffed almost inaudibly and looked in to a dark corner of the room.

Kagami scowled. "He's been like this the whole time. I can't believe I put so much faith in to a guy like this."

"Stop it, Kagami," Teppei chided. "Things moved quite a bit faster than we would have liked, and it was hard to communicate anything to him. You must have some questions for us, Aomine-kun."

He was quiet for a long time. He glanced back and forth between the idiot in the chair and that corner. He heaved a sigh. "What is it you guys are trying to achieve?"

The group was stunned in to silence, struggling to find an answer. Kagami was the first one to muster up an answer. "I just want to take down the damn emperor who thinks people like me aren't worthy of his kingdom," he blurted out. Daiki slowly turned and stared him straight in the eye.

"W-wait that isn't right," Kagami stuttered.

He raised an eyebrow.

"I want everyone to have a chance, is what I mean. People like me and Tatsuya and Alex, and people like Kiyoshi."

"Hey, Tetsu." He growled. "These are the people you're choosing to help? They're a joke. They don't even know what they're fighting for." He looked back at Kagami. "Just what sparked your interest in the kingdom, huh? The emperor decree something you didn't like, and so you start a rebellion? These people aren't worth my time."

"Wait just one fucking minute."

Daiki tossed a glance at Hyuuga.

"We just fucking saved both of your lives, and you're acting like it's nothing? In case you forgot, Kise _died_ trying to save your sorry ass! He knew you'd be able to do something about the emperor and how he runs this place, so he sacrificed himself! Don't act like you're so high and mighty, just because you got out of an execution!" He yelled.

"If Tatsuya were here, this wouldn't be such a hassle," Kagami muttered under his breath.

"Another question then," Daiki decided, "why do you need my help?"

Riko smiled, kicking her shoe at Hyuuga to keep him quiet. "That's simple. The only reason your revolution was unsuccessful was because you all were sold out by a rat. I know I can trust these guys, and Kagami's confident in Himuro's connections. Between all of us, there's no way we can lose. We can be the ones to change things here."

"You don't need me for that." Daiki's eyes wandered back to the dark corner of the room. He felt Kuroko nudge his arm with his own, just a little. "You probably messed everything up to get me out of that execution, not to mention you got a great man killed."

Teppei rubbed the back of his neck, nodded. "Kise-kun was very talented. But he was the only one capable of capturing you. I was captain before he was, and I couldn't put up a fight against you at all."

"We'll need you to help fight," Kuroko said quietly. Daiki's shoulders relaxed. "At least meet the other people who will help before deciding."

He didn't decline. He was quiet for a long time before his look softened. "I want to see Satsuki, too," he said finally. "Then I'll decide."

Kagami looked surprised. Teppei and Riko exchanged looks.

* * *

**Author's note:** This marks the end of part a of the first part of their plan. Sorry Kise fans. Even more people will show up in the next part. Hope you enjoyed reading it!


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